The walls of many electronic enclosures have openings for air flow and heat dissipation purposes. In the event of a fire within such enclosures or adjacent to an enclosure, these openings become a path by which the fire can escape from the enclosure and spread to other equipment or structure. It is desirable that fire suppressors contain the flames of a fire within the enclosure, should a fire erupt inside the enclosure. Although mechanical devices such as, for example, louvers or solid panels have been proposed as fire suppressors, such mechanical structures require moving parts, heat sensors, and other components affecting the overall reliability of such suppressors and increasing the cost of the electronic enclosure.
A need has thus arisen for an efficient, and cost effective fire suppressor for an electronic enclosure.